‘Complete’ Cornish back in Stamps lineup against RedBlacks

Rita Mingo, Calgary Herald08.23.2014

Runningback Jon Cornish runs in a touchdown as the Calgary Stampeders beat the Montreal Alouettes 29 to 8 on June 28, 2014 at McMahon Stadium. Cornish will return to the lineup in Sunday's game against the Ottawa Redblacks.

OTTAWA — Eager is not exactly the word Jon Cornish would use, but you can bet the men around him are tickled pink to have the talented running back in the fold once again.

“I’m excited. I wouldn’t say I’m any more eager than normal,” offered Cornish, who will suit up for the first time since Game 1 of the CFL season on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. MDT kickoff) when the 6-1 Calgary Stampeders take on the 1-6 Ottawa Redblacks.

“It’s a football game. That’s what I do for a living. It’s back to the same old, same old.”

Cornish suffered a concussion against Montreal eight weeks ago after a shot to the head by Kyries Hebert. The 29-year-old says he’s not worried about taking a hit, at least not of that nature.

“If someone wants to punch me in the face again ... it’s the only concussion I’ve had in my career,” he reasoned. “If something like that happens again, I’m a little more prepared for it.”

The man who will hand him the ball, Bo Levi Mitchell, wasn’t hiding his enthusiasm.

“It’s huge, it’s huge having a guy like Jon,” said Mitchell. “He’s going to give you those consistent runs. You’re not going to get a lot of plays that stall or plays that go backward. You’re going to get a lot of plays that probably shouldn’t be made that are made.”

The Redblacks, too, realize their job on defence just got a little harder. Two weeks ago, when these teams met, there was no Jon Cornish to prepare for.

“We know they’re going to make an effort to run the ball and Jon is going to want the ball in his hands,” said Ottawa head coach Rick Campbell. “The other thing is he’s such a complete player. I know he’s going to be excited and motivated to get back out there, but we have to make sure we do a good job in the run gaps and are good tacklers.”

Another go-to guy back in the lineup is veteran receiver Nik Lewis, who has been hampered by both an ankle injury and a ratio quandary.

“Good to see him back on the football field,” agreed Mitchell. “It’s like having another coach out there. He says things in front of the media, in front of fans about getting the ball but he’s a very unselfish player. He doesn’t call for the ball. He’s a player who can make the plays.”

Mitchell, in his own right, has joined the rarefied air occupied by Jackie Parker, Jim Van Pelt (both in the 1950s) and Joe Theismann (1971), all of whom went 9-1 to start their careers. They all were 11-1 before suffering their second loss.

Offensive lineman Stanley Bryant is back in the lineup, wearing a brace on his knee, as is special teams ace Alvin Bowen. Receiver Brad Sinopoli won’t be playing in front of family and friends is, after he was dinged in last weekend’s game in Hamilton.

“No question, there’s a lot of folks here that wanted him to be playing,” said Stamps’ head coach/GM John Hufnagel. “Found a spot on the airplane for him so he’ll be on the sideline.”

The Redblacks, meanwhile, are hoping to put up their second victory, one that has so far been elusive in their inaugural campaign. “There’s two parts of the equation for me,” began Campbell. “One is we have a big time urgency to win football games because we do have a group of veteran coaches and players and a core group of players who we feel are going to be good players here.”

“The other part is seeing the big picture, we need to make sure we’re getting better each week. We feel if we improve each week, there’s no reason we can’t throw our hat in the ring at the end of the season and compete for a playoff spot.”

Where the Redblacks are second to none in this league is their gorgeous 24,000-seat facility, TD Place Stadium. It’s nestled into a green area by the Rideau Canal, with posh condos being built over one end zone.

“I have no ties to Eastern Canada, but Ottawa is a neat city,” mused Campbell. “The cool thing about it is the stadium sitting on the canal and the neighbourhood. I live a few blocks from here, I sold my car in Calgary and walk to work every day. Unique situation and I’ve loved it so far.”

“People walk here, they take water taxis to the game, once the game’s over, they empty out onto the street, wearing their red and black colours … it’s phenomenal,” described QB Henry Burris, who is brushing up on his French. “It’s becoming part of the people here. The culture is both francophone and anglophone. I’ve paid attention to my surroundings and got to know people on both sides and just being able to relate to everybody just makes this world a better place.”

Burris makes his 194th career start on Sunday, moving into fourth spot overall, and needs 93 yards to pass Danny McManus (53,255) for third place in all-time yards.

“I haven’t had time to focus on those things,” Burris said. “After my career is all said and done, I’ll be able to sit back and think ‘I can’t believe I did this, I can’t believe I did that.’”

“To me, what I’ll take with me most is winning.”

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